Legal Definitions - legitimation

Definition: Legitimation is the act of making something lawful or authorized. It can also refer to the process of declaring a person legitimate, especially a child whose parentage has been unclear. In history, it was used to prove a person's identity and legal permission to reside in a certain place or engage in a certain occupation.

• When a government passes a law, it goes through a process of legitimation to make it official and lawful.
• If a child is born out of wedlock, the father may need to go through a process of legitimation to establish legal paternity and parental rights.
• In the past, immigrants to a new country had to go through a process of legitimation to prove their identity and legal right to live and work there.

These examples illustrate how legitimation is used to establish something as lawful or authorized. It can be used in various contexts, such as passing laws, establishing parental rights, or proving identity and legal status.